With friends like these

"This film unmasks the Great Satan America," a spokesman said. "It tells Muslim people why they are right in hating America. It is the duty of every believer to see [this film] and learn the truth."

One guess what film he's talking about. First accolades from Fidel Castro, now hateful Iranian mullahs. Way to go filmmaker-who-shall-not-be-given-more-free-PR-here. (Credit to a fine article by Amir Taheri that explores Arab Bush-hating in much greater depth)

Uplifting

If you need to read something that will brighten your day, read about the successful separation and recovery of conjoined twins Clarence and Carl Aguirre. It's a seemingly miraculous success, and the picture that accompanies it is precious.

Losses and priorities

Joshua Claybourn lost his mom this weekend at age 49. My heart sank when I read the front page of his blog today. The blogosphere's kind of funny that way. I've never met Josh in any personal capacity, but he's been a blogging buddy for about two years now. It feels like a good friend of mine has experienced a tremendous loss.

It's been one of those months here in Central Illinois. Reminders of our mortality are everywhere. First the little ragamuffins ran us into the ground with VBS last week -- 10 year-olds that were merely 6 years of age when I moved here. At church Friday night, our pastor came upon my husband and I stuffing our faces with ice cream and looking exhausted. His first words? "Don't let this week keep you from having children sometime in the near future." I don't think that's on the horizon in the near future, but this week was an extreme reminder of just how quickly time passes.

Saturday we headed back to my hometown for a wedding of one of my friends from high school, an extreme practical joker, THE expert at goofing around in high school. He got married this weekend in a beautiful outdoor service at the local forest preserve. I hadn't seen him in almost three years before we ran into him recently. At least in my mind, he's gone from this big goofy kid to husband and step-dad overnight. I guess we're all growing up...there are just some times it hits you harder than others.

My husband and I are going through some growing pains ourselves. I'm busy at work and getting ready to start some evening MBA classes. He's this close to finished with his masters, and he's joined the job-seeking masses. Not just any job, one in his new field of expertise and that pays decently. Few to nil leads yet here in Central Illinois. We're trying to stay optimistic, but if you aren't vigilant, it really does color how you look at things.

Where is this rambling going? To make a long story short, my husband and I are thinking about leaving Central Illinois. It's our Plan B, but it feels like it's getting closer to reality. I've started researching other B-Schools and he's researching other tech hotbeds. Primarily Chicago, Dallas, and Austin have been kicked around so far. Very preliminary, but it's enough to make me a bit nervous.

It's tough fos us to contemplate making such a major move when we are spoiled by having our families nearby. Both our parents are in their mid-fifties and live less than 70 miles away. If we are lucky, we see them twice a month or so. Our relationships with them aren't perfect, but they are good solid ones. We love them and wish we had more opportunities to spend quality time with them. It's hard to imagine these relationships reduced to a few phone calls a month, especially when assorted problems with our parents' health remind us that we never know how much time we have left together.

Knowing how much thought I've pondered these topics lately and how confronting my parents' mortality makes me feel, I can only imagine how Josh is feeling tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

What am I up to?

"Keep alert, stand firm in your faith" -- 1 Corinthians 16:13

That's the prevailing theme from HeroQuest, the curriculum that is keeping us busy this week, as my household is spending a good two hours each night convincing pre-teens that they aren't too old / too cool for Vacation Bible School. It really is a lot of fun though. While a bit squirrelly, they are great kids and it's fun to watch them take in the stories and figure out ways to apply them to their everyday lives.

So last week it was pre-wedding festivities for a close friend from college. This week it's 8 hours or work, 1 hour to travel, 3 hours for VBS each day. Time is precious at the moment. I'll be posting when I can though -- thanks for stopping by!

So we have a candidate now...

For the US Senate race in Illinois, as Alan Keyes has stepped in to assure that we will not be without an alternative on the ballot in November. Do I think he has a shot? No, not really. Am I upset about it? In my mind, I had chalked this seat up as a GOP loss in mid-May. While I'm unhappy that my views will no longer have any sort of representation in the Senate, it's something I have come to terms with and accepted.

Greg Blankenship has posted an excellent run-down of the Keyes/Obama battle if you're interested in more details. He makes an excellent point that Keyes might be able to tighten up the race by focusing on Obama's extreme left record on the issues.

"Obama is the proverbial "Music Man," he looks good and communicates well but he is running a con game on us with the willing aid of the state press corps. Obama is part of the wild eyed wing of the Democratic party. He merely has congenial facade. For example, when Blair Hull was the flavor of the day, Obama was the "Howard Dean" candidate. Now Obama is a centrist??? Please.

Basically though, this race is a throwaway. In some respects, I think that inviting Alan Keyes onto the Illinois ballot is just a hair off Spoons' suggestion of letting Obama run unopposed.
Keyes has suggested that he will draw upon his national support to fund his run in Illinois. Illinois GOP constituents will not have to put on a happy face and pour money into this campaign just to make it look like we didn't give up. The fact that these are now two nationally-known public figures will draw attention to the race and debates may potentially highlight Obama's extreme-left positions on the issues. I still think Obama will win this time, but the seeds of doubt about the far left views of the senator(s) from Illinois will have been planted for the future. Perhaps this gives the party a launching point for future races...although I still don't understand why they didn't offer the slot to those who actually ran for this nomination (Andy McKenna or even Jim Oberweis despite his seemingly deficient grasp on the immigration/jobs issues).

Do I really think they put this much thought into the Keyes nomination? Not necessarily. They may just not have wanted to expend the money and the effort on an already-lost battle. Every cloud has a silver lining though, and I am just looking for it here. Silver lining #2? I'm thinking the debates will be pretty darn entertaining.

Funnies

Rumored Jay Leno riffs about John Kerry -- received them at work work today and thought they were too cute not to pass along:

"The Secret Service has announced it is doubling its protection for John Kerry. You can understand why - with two positions on every issue, he has twice as many people mad at him."

"We make jokes about it but the truth is this presidential election really offers us a choice of two well-informed opposing positions on every issue. OK, they both belong to John Kerry, but they're still there"

"President Bush listed his income as $822,000. You know what John Kerry calls someone who earns $822,000? Not even worth dating."

"Well the good news for Democrats, now over half the country can identify a picture of John Kerry. The bad news, the majority still thinks he's the dad from The Munsters."

"John Kerry accused President Bush of catering to the rich. You know, as opposed to John Kerry who just marries them."

"They say John Kerry is the first Democratic presidential candidate in history to raise $50 million in a three-month period. Actually, that's nothing. He once raised $500 million with two words: 'I do.'"

Swiftboat Veterans for Truth

Tonight Spoons brings my attention to the new advertisement being run by Swiftboat Veterans for Truth. Basically this ad takes the men . Of the 19 men in that photo with Kerry, 2 are deceased, 4 did not participate, 1 supports Kerry's candidacy, and 12 believe that he is "unfit for command". On June 1st, a letter was sent to the Kerry campaign asking them to cease and desist with using this image in advertising as it seemed to imply that these 12 swiftboat veterans supported his candidacy. We continued to hear about Kerry's Vietnam swiftboat mates during last week's convention brouhaha...but how many in that photo really support him now?

The ad is powerful. The images and stories behind it on the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth website are even moreso. Here's a small sampling:

"His biography, 'Tour of Duty,' by Douglas Brinkley, is replete with gross exaggerations, distortions of fact, contradictions and slanderous lies. His contempt for the military and authority is evident by even a most casual review of this biography. He arrived in-country with a strong anti-Vietnam War bias and a self-serving determination to build a foundation for his political future. He was aggressive, but vain and prone to impulsive judgment, often with disregard for specific tactical assignments. He was a 'loose cannon.' In an abbreviated tour of four months and 12 days, and with his specious medals secure, Lt.(jg) Kerry bugged out and began his infamous betrayal of all United States forces in the Vietnam War." -- Rear Admiral Roy Hoffman USN (retired)

"While in Cam Rahn Bay, he trained on several 24-hour indoctrination missions, and one special skimmer operation with my most senior and trusted Lieutenant. The briefing from some members of that crew the morning after revealed that they had not received any enemy fire, and yet Lt.(jg) Kerry informed me of a wound -- he showed me a scratch on his arm and a piece of shrapnel in his hand that appeared to be from one of our own M-79s. It was later reported to me that Lt.(jg) Kerry had fired an M-79, and it had exploded off the adjacent shoreline. I do not recall being advised of any medical treatment, and probably said something like 'Forget it.' He later received a Purple Heart for that scratch, and I have no information as to how or whom." -- Commander Grant Hibberd USN (retired)

"During Lt.(jg) Kerry's tour, he was under my command for two or three specific operations, before his rapid exit. Trust, loyalty and judgment are the key, operative words. His turncoat performance in 1971 in his grubby shirt and his medal-tossing escapade, coupled with his slanderous lines in the recent book portraying us that served, including all POWs and MIAs, as murderous war criminals, I believe, will have a lasting effect on all military veterans and their families.

Kerry would be described as devious, self-absorbing, manipulative, disdain for authority, disruptive, but the most common phrase that you'd hear is 'requires constant supervision.'" -- Captain Charles Plumly, USN (retired)

For those who believe that character matters, this is pretty damning stuff...especially since Kerry's four months of military service were presented as one of the primary reasons to vote for him at the DNC convention last week. It will be interesting to see how this ad plays out in the weeks up until the convention and if John O'Neill's book Unfit for Command gets the kind of coverage that Bill Clinton, Bob Woodward, and Richard Clarke's tomes did this spring. If not, you can help keep this ad on the air by donating at swiftvets.com. It's something to consider.

PrezGeorgeW.typepad.com

Meredith has already linked to the Onion and my big chuckle of the day. Fun for liberals and conservatives alike! Although I must admit that former probably sees this article as closer to truth than fiction, while the latter just enjoys the play on a good stereotype.

Is an Onion article about John Kerry working at the Waffle House far behind? Although I imagine they'd stop at Waffle House for the photo op then have 19 boxes of croissants from Au Bon Pain waiting on the bus. :)

Tuesday Rundown

Banshee-Blog backdate blogs the DNC Convention from last week: Monday (Gore/Carter/Clintons), Tuesday (Kennedy/12 year old who does not read Kerry's f#$*ing interviews in Rolling Stone/Tereza), Wednesday (Doctah Jackson/Rangle/Sharpton/Edwards) and Thursday (Kerry's "Did you know I was in Vietnam?" spectacle) respectively. Love her quote about Kerry's allusion to Reagan at the end -- it bears repeating everytime Reagan's name is invoked throughout this election:

Kerry cited hard-core atheist Ron Jr.’s eulogy of the late President Reagan and said that like Reagan, Kerry does not “wear his faith on his sleeve.” It is certainly true that Reagan was not as outspoken in public about his Christian faith as President George W. Bush, but I would like to ask Mr. Kerry who he believes Mr. Reagan would have voted for in the upcoming election. I’ll give you a hint. It would not have been someone who believes in appeasing evil, bowing to France and the UN or murdering the unborn.

Speaking of which, I drove through Eureka this weekend. I haven't made it to visit Eureka College's Ronald Reagan Museum/Peace Garden since the Great Communicator's passing. Just driving through that sleepy little town though, I always feel that there's something special about it and the role it played in his character development, in the life of our nation. It's definitely worth a visit if you are ever in the neighborhood -- just off I-74 and about an hour south of I-80 in Central Illinois.

I almost posted this weekend about how excited my husband is about this Nomar trade, hoping it really helps the Cubs' chances for the Wild Card and the playoffs. Seen on a sign in Denver tonight -- "Nomar Curse". Here's to hoping.

I was going to blog this last week but if you are interested in American intelligence-gathering organizations and their role in the war on terror, The Grid miniseries is really engrossing, realistic television. It explores both the positive/negative effects of the conflict with Islamic fundamentalism and does a nice job of humanizing both the "good" and "bad" characters. I doubt that the Academy will ever recognize it since overall it disagrees with their world view and there are Reagan-bashing miniseries to reward, but make sure to tune in to TNT on Mondays at 8 pm for the next few weeks.

St. Louis papers have tracked down "Samir", the gentleman seen holding Sadaam Hussein on the ground during his capture last year. Pretty interesting story about how he came to work as an interpeter with the US military, his anger at being forced to leave his family 13 years ago, his conversation with Hussein in the foxhole, and his insistence on thanking President Bush for freeing the Iraqi's from Hussein and presenting him with his parents' "blessing beads" at a rally in St. Charles last month. (Hat tip to Liam at Hey Listen).

Not sure what I think about Alan Keyes potentially running for the Illinois Senate seat. Actually let me restate that...I think he will lose. However, I feel that running Alan Keyes would be the next best thing to letting Obama run unopposed. It would be making a point, it would bring attention to the Illinois Senate race, it might actually involve honest debate of very-conservative versus hyper-liberal ideas. If Keyes could do this without seeming too self righteous (Michael at the Chicago Report thinks Keyes's over-confidence would benefit Obama), it would at least be an interesting race to watch.

Speaking of Barack Obama, I will again repeat that he seems like a nice person who truly believes in what he's doing. I am still exceptionally happy to learn about the Obama Truth Squad, a new blog highlighting Obama's exceptionally liberal record in the Illinois Senate. This will not make a difference as Chicago is trending more socialist every day, but it's nice that someone's trying to make his true record an issue in this race.

no bounce

Um yeah. I'm still alive. Still very much in recovery from my weekend. Let's just suffice it to say that staying out until 4 am does not agree with me anymore. On the other hand, the nightlife in Peoria was basically jumping this weekend. Concert on the riverfront (Jamm Sammich), block party downtown, lots of college boys telling us the old married woman of the group that she only looked 23 or 24 :) I can handle a few more years of bachelorette parties if that keeps happening.

So on one hand it was a good time. On another hand, I still have to work 40 hours this week and my body does not tolerate late nights as well at 26 as it used to back at 21 or so. As a result, I may refrain from posting my detailed John Kerry speech play-by-play.

At this point, others have summed it up the "no bounce" capstone address far better than I can at present. I will offer one additional comment though. All those surmising that Kerry suffered because he didn't bash Bush enough in his address -- I think you are wrong. Well-informed voters could still note plenty of Bush bashing in Kerry's address last Thursday. It was perfectly crafted to appeal to the radical Dem delegate base and yet the slamming was subtle enough that those who are less informed about current events and politics would not notice.

I'd like to surmise that most independent undecided voters that bother to watch convention speeches are pretty well informed. I find it quite plausible that they noted Kerry's subtle salutes to Michael Moore's fearmongering conspiracy theories and that they were turned off by his antics. In the end, this may not end up mattering. However, it will be interesting to see if Kerry keeps up the sly, subtle cheap shots as the campaign progresses.

Preliminary Assessment

My thoughts?  This was a speech full of cliches and focus-tested phrases.  It was what the Democrats thought people wanted to hear.  My biggest problem with this speech?  Very little coming out of the mouths of "big Democrats" at this  convention matched up with their voting records or their actions in the past. 

It's one thing to promise to devote more time and money to the military than the GOP, but it's quite another when you've been working whole-heartedly to defeat their efforts to fund new bombers, strengthen the CIA, or to increase military funding for years.  It one thing to say that you will never give any nation or organization control over our national interests, but it's quite another to say that when you have advocated doing exactly that for years. 

It was a polished speech, but it was far from an inspiring speech.  The delivery was just not compelling, and I did not feel he was sincere.  There were some things in this speech that I was amazed a nominee would say about a sitting president, basically accusing him of lying to the people.  There were some things that made me angry because Kerry's statements about them were so advertently misleading and biased, such as his WMD allusions.  But what else should I be expecting? 

My overall impression?  It was far from inspiring.  The last few minutes of the speech I found myself writing "Argh, is this over yet?" and musing about whether the sweat was going to run off his chin and hit the microphone.  I would be far more concerned about his bounce if Kerry had given a speech like those of Barack Obama or Bill Clinton.   

I have a written out a minute-by-minute blog entry that I will try to get up tomorrow.  It's going to be a busy weekend in Illiniland.  Cookie-baking, movie night, pre-wedding festivities for a friend.   Tonight I had a farewell outing for a co-worker at work, and now I will owe my friend a case of beer if Hillary Clinton runs for president in 2008 and does not win.  However, I told him that if necessary I would be campaigning for Barack Obama to be the Democratic nominee during primary season to keep that from happening.  Of course, he replied that was good because he thinks Obama is going to be the first black president.  Darn independents.   Should be an interesting bet nonetheless.   

BTW if you want more GOP blogging on the DNC, Vodkapundit, Resplendent Mango and The Corner are the places to be as far as I can tell.   Back as soon as possible.

Tonight's rundown

No full convention play-by-play tonight as real life interferes.  I did watch a few minutes of Barack Obama's convention speech.  He comes off extremely well.   I have no doubt he's sincere, as he seems extremely nice and quite respectful of opposing beliefs (such as those of the president).  He's a very effective speaker, good at making his point and sounding inspirational.  In short, it seems that he and I want a lot of the same things.  People to be happy, have jobs, not go hungry, opportunity for all.  We have significantly different ideas on how these goals should be achieved though, so there's about a snowball's chance in hell that I will vote for this man.  Assuming there's even an alternative on the Illinois ballot that is... 

Speaking of the former alternative on the Illinois ballot, the man that Jack Ryan hired to trail Barack Obama with a videocamera is profiled in the Weekly Standard today.  The whole thing sounds much more benign than I had been led to believe last spring.  Twenty-four year old Justin Warfel tells his side of the story. 

I've found a new blog that I really enjoy.  Resplendent Mango where Katie dishes up all sorts of goodies for the conservative political junkie.  Kerry Bingo cards to use during his speech Thursday.   Some compassion for Ben Affleck but little for the vitriol of Michael Moore and Howard Dean.   Speculation as to why Ivory Tower dwellers lean liberal.  Nice tribute to Mary Jo Kopechne on the evening Ted Kennedy is 'honored'.  Great assessment of the Barack Obama speech --

"Obama (who the heck is that? he's doing well though...) is talking about how we aren't red states and blue states, Republicans and Democrats, etc, we are one United States of America. John Edwards must be backstage, swearing prettily. "

Speaking of good DNC convention blogging, Jay over at Accidental Verbosity is doing an excellent job of hitting the convention highlights.   Check in there if you are interested. 

A new rival strip for Doonesbury?  If you are into political cartoons &/or get frustrated by Garry Trudeau's viewpoints, check out the strip Day by Day by Chris Muir.  

Further details on Michael Moore's Bloomington Pantagraph headline fake are up over at MooreWatch.  Someone actually dug up an image of that date's Editorial page, so you can view the blatant image-twisting for yourself.   

Oompa Loompa Loompity Dee -- Steve H makes John Kerry's photo very funny

Over at one of the sites that compelled me to start blogging, Ben Domenech takes a break.   Enjoy it Ben.  You deserve it...especially considering all you are juggling at the ripe old age of 21 or so.   Kudos.

Meredith and Wild Banshee are tackling the bar exam this week.  I wish them luck, although I doubt they need it.  Visit their sites and show them some love, if you so desire.

For the moment, that's all folks.   See you later.